Industry and Government Unite for Gender-Responsive Supply Chains at UN Women–GIZ Consultation

[Press release]

New Delhi, India — From tea gardens in Assam to textile clusters in Rajasthan, women workers form an integral part of India’s supply chains. In sectors like tea, spice, cotton, and textiles, where women represent over half of the workforce, millions of women keep the country’s production engines running.

Recognising the need to build gender responsive and safe supply chains for women, UN Women India and GIZ India jointly organised a two-day consultation, National Consultation on Building Gender-Responsive and Safe Supply Chains in New Delhi as part of an ongoing partnership with the Indo-German development cooperation project “Sustainability and Value Added in Agricultural Supply Chains”, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). In attendance were around 80 government representatives, women workers, farmers, grassroots leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, industry and association partners.

The Government of India’s Viksit Bharat@2047 vision emphasizes creating a globally competitive economy grounded in gender equality, social justice, and economic empowerment. A central feature of this vision is "women-led development, a shift from viewing women as beneficiaries to recognizing them as drivers of growth and nation-building”. This includes enhancing their roles in formal and informal supply chains, where millions of women are engaged.

Viksit Bharat aims to reduce informality and ensure that women workers, especially in low-wage, high-volume supply chains—are safe and are provided with decent work, fair wages, and access to social security. Schemes aligned with Viksit Bharat, like Skill India, PM Vishwakarma, and PM MITRA Parks focus on skilling and upskilling women in supply chain-linked roles. Aligning supply chain development with the Viksit Bharat@2047 agenda creates a strategic pathway to both economic transformation and gender justice.

Shri Anil Malik, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, GoI mentioned, “As we advance towards Viksit Bharat@2047, building gender-responsive supply chains must go beyond compliance. It is about ensuring health, safety, dignity, equity, and opportunity, and recognising women as equal partners in shaping India’s growth story. This is central to advancing women-led development and accelerating India’s economic transformation”.

The spice sector, largely dependent on women smallholders, makes India the largest producer and exporter globally. As global demand for ethical sourcing and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance grows, empowering women in these supply chains becomes a strategic driver of productivity, competitiveness, and inclusive growth. Gender-responsive and safe supply chains mean healthier workplaces, stronger retention, better products, and more resilient communities.

Through panel discussions and interactive dialogues, the consultation explored a diverse range of issues from workplace safety, and occupational health issues, grassroot leadership to the role of worker collectives and associations. Women welfare officers, supervisors, gender champions, and change agents shared stories from the ground, highlighting both persistent challenges and transformative wins. Sessions like strengthening women worker’s safety and wellbeing in supply chain sectors, like textile, cotton and tea and multi-stakeholder perspectives on the need for more inclusive supply chains provided insight and nuance to the consultation.

Shri. Purnesh Gururani, Director, Ministry of Textiles, emphasised the central role of women in India’s cotton and textile supply chains and commended the timeliness of the initiative. He noted its alignment with the Ministry of Textiles ESG Task Force, which is harmonising national policy with global standards, as well as with the 2025 Mission on Cotton Productivity. Noting the ongoing cooperation with GIZ together, these synergistic efforts are paving the way for more resource-efficient, inclusive and resilient supply chains.

Gottfried von Gemmingen, Head of Division for Economic Cooperation & Development, German Embassy New Delhi, emphasised the importance of a conducive working environment for women, for them to realise their full potential. This is a priority of the BMZ and reflected in the existing Green and Sustainable Development Partnership between the two countries that provides an essential platform to foster collaboration on these priorities.

Farhad Vania, Senior Portfolio Advisor, India, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH added, “… sustainability and gender equality go hand in hand. At GIZ, we have demonstrated that when women workers’ health, safety, and wellbeing are prioritised, it tends to make supply chains become more resilient, competitive, and future-ready. This consultation is an important step towards ensuring that women workers are not only protected but are recognised as drivers of sustainability and innovation in India’s supply chains.”

Kanta Singh, Country Representative a.i., UN Women India, “From fields to factories, women are the strength of India’s supply chains. When their health and safety are protected, women not only contribute as workers but thrive as leaders, innovators, and decision-makers. Our work ensures that women workers are recognised as skilled professionals, problem-solvers, and leaders whose insight and resilience can transform the future of their sectors.”

The event culminated with policy commitments and industry pledges to ensure that women’s safety and dignity are non-negotiable in every part of the supply chain.